Daynee Rosales – KNOM Radio Missionhttp://www.knom.org/wp
96.1 FM | 780 AM | Yours for Western AlaskaFri, 18 Aug 2017 00:44:50 +0000en-UShourly1https://wordpress.org/?v=4.8.159285469“A Year on Top of the World”http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/09/02/a-year-on-top-of-the-world/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/09/02/a-year-on-top-of-the-world/#commentsTue, 02 Sep 2014 18:26:41 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=11633As we say goodbye to the 2013-2014 class of KNOM volunteers, we offer snapshots of their recent writing on our website; each offers a glimpse at what makes our volunteer program so special and so crucial.]]>

It’s a bittersweet time at KNOM as we bid farewell to each of the five outstanding volunteers whose work and personality has so brightened our mission: not only within our studio walls, but throughout the communities we serve.

As we say goodbye — to Dayneé, Emily, Tara, Zach, and Anna Rose (pictured above) — we offer snapshots of their recent writing on this website; each offers a glimpse at what makes our volunteer program special.

“I am going to miss Nome a lot… My time here has not been without its share of challenges, but it has also been a time of great growth…

“(A volunteer’s symbiotic relationship with the community) is the most beautiful thing about the KNOM program. Both the community and myself feel they got more out of it than the other, and what we give and take comes with no strings attached.”

“Here (in rural Alaska), community is more than people knowing my face or calling my name. It’s attending meetings and walks and celebrations and seeing the town come together, again and again and inexhaustibly again, investing their time and support in this place they call home and taking ownership of each other… in Nome, a person is more than the sum of what they occupationally produce.”

Emily Bieniek, in her “sign-off” blog post, offers many reasons for gratitude and, in this excerpt, speaks to the region we serve directly:

“I have been overwhelmed by your generosity for the past year. Thank you for investing so much of your time, energy, and resources in me, and for showing me the beauty of this region. I will try to emulate your generosity after I leave, and I will do my best to educate people in the Lower 48 about life in Western Alaska. Thank you for a wonderful year on top of the world.”

Tara Cicatello shares her excitement at imparting the stewardship of our station to our next class of volunteers:

“I’ve enjoyed passing on the torch (to the new volunteers)… introducing them to new people and places and orienting them in their new home for the year. They are most definitely a fun bunch full of life and ready for the challenge… The station is in good hands.”

As for her own volunteer time, Tara says she “wouldn’t trade it for the world.”

Reporter Zachariah Hughes, finally, writes on continuing to grow, both professionally and personally, right through his final weeks at the station:

“I am doing, and have done, way more than I’d hoped during my time in Alaska… In few other places, and with few employers like KNOM, would a 25-year-old with a year of work experience be allowed to hop around on planes for cool stories. I feel lucky and like I’ve done well.”

While we will greatly miss all of our 2013-14 volunteers, we know their service has contributed immeasurably to the life of our region. We can’t thank you enough for making our vitally-needed volunteer program possible. As you can see, their service truly changes lives; we can’t wait to see what the 2014-2015 year holds in store.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/09/02/a-year-on-top-of-the-world/feed/211633On Top of the Worldhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/08/01/on-top-of-the-world/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/08/01/on-top-of-the-world/#commentsFri, 01 Aug 2014 19:34:15 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=10988Volunteer Dayneé Rosales recently traveled to an incredible place: Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the USA and the host of a traditional whaling festival, Nalukataq.]]>

Western Alaska — the region your support allows us to serve — is a place full of incredible communities and breathtaking vistas.

But even in this amazing corner of the world, certain communities are truly exceptional: like Barrow, Alaska, the northernmost city in the United States and the host of a recent whaling festival witnessed, in person, by KNOM’s second-year volunteer Dayneé Rosales.

It’s no exaggeration to say that Barrow sits on the edge of the continent. The city overlooks the Arctic Ocean and, nestled well above the Arctic Circle, enjoys the most extreme light patterns in all of Alaska. In Barrow, the sun never sets from early May to early August (the midnight sun) and never rises from late November to late January (it’s what’s called a polar night). In a blog post on this website, Dayneé recently reflected on what a special location this truly is:

“This landmass that we inhabit stretches across forests and deserts and cities… for thousands and thousands of miles. Then it stops. It didn’t sink in until I saw it, driving out to the edge of town, the Arctic Ocean on both sides. The road ended. Nothing up ahead but the North Pole.”

In this incredible spot, Dayneé spent a few days as an on-location reporter during one of the town’s most important annual events: Nalukataq (NAH-loo-kah-tuck), which, as she describes, is “a traditional festival that celebrates a successful whale catch.”

“It was a trip years in the making,” Dayneé says, “and I am grateful to KNOM for giving me the opportunity to go and experience it first hand.” Whaling festivals in rural Alaska are, indeed, special moments; they’re touchstones of the traditional, subsistence lifestyles that are at the core of the Alaska Native culture we celebrate at KNOM. Even though Barrow is outside the normal range of KNOM’s AM signal, its cultural embrace of whaling is similar to the communities we reach, where the importance of whaling festivals like Nalukataq runs deep.

And in Barrow, as Dayneé describes, it’s truly a festival atmosphere: “Most attendees came prepared for a long day,” she writes. “(A)rmed with foldable chairs, blankets, and coolers, Nalukataq was reminiscent of a very large 4th of July family summer cook out, albeit in 30 degree weather.”

To learn more about Nalukataq, listen to the news story (Profile) your support made possible. The photos here include a glimpse of the “blanket toss” that’s part of many traditional whaling celebrations, as well as an in-process whale harvest and carved muktuk (whale blubber), a prized delicacy in rural Alaska. Thank you for helping to make crucial trips like these happen.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/08/01/on-top-of-the-world/feed/210988Construction, Accolades, and Odds ‘n’ Endshttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/08/01/construction-accolades-and-odds-n-ends/
Fri, 01 Aug 2014 14:30:31 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=10942Funds for our studio construction are now just shy of $700,000; Dayneé has received an award for her production work; and our entire station is a finalist for one of broadcasting's highest honors.]]>

We’re happy to report that our fundraising goal for our studio construction project, the Tom and Florence Busch Digital Studios, now stands past the two-thirds mark (of our $1M goal), at $681,489.63. Included within this sum are a $25,000 donation from the Amaturo Family Foundation and a combination of grant and matching grant funds from the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities, also totaling $25,000.

As work on our August newsletter wraps up, construction work in July is proceeding more slowly than we’d hoped, mostly due to the challenging lack of skilled workers in Nome. However, we’re still expecting that our studio building will be a completed office space, ready for equipment, by the end of the season. We ask for prayers for the work of our construction crew and for our ongoing fundraising efforts. As always, you can learn more about our project throughout this website.

We have a new award to add to the shelves! Dayneé Rosales (pictured) recently received a 2014 Communicator Award from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts for her work both writing and producing our 2013 traditional Christmas play. Her production, “Mindy, the Ugly Christmas Sweater,” clearly impressed the judges as much as it did our listeners. Congratulations to Dayneé!

KNOM Radio is one of only five finalists for the 2014 Marconi Award for Religious Station of the Year; it’s an award given by the National Association of Broadcasters honoring overall excellence in broadcasting. Of course, we’ll let you know the outcome of this nomination in future newsletters, but as they say, it truly is an honor just to be nominated. So from all of us at KNOM, thank you for your support, and congrats!

]]>10942On the road: Dayneé travels to Barrow, AKhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/06/30/on-the-road-daynee-travels-to-barrow-ak/
Mon, 30 Jun 2014 22:31:54 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=10136See it in photos: Dayneé was in Barrow this weekend for the Nalukataq celebration: a community-wide gathering sharing whale meat and celebrating a successful harvest.]]>

On A trip two years in the making, volunteer Dayneé Rosales finally made it to Barrow, Alaska this weekend for the Nalukataq celebration: a community-wide gathering sharing whale meat and celebrating a successful harvest.

Dayneé sent some pictures on ahead to share a glimpse of the summer in Barrow and of the festivities she was able to witness. Stay tuned for her first-hand account of the trip.

]]>10136A healthy start to the dayhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/06/30/a-healthy-start-to-the-day/
Mon, 30 Jun 2014 21:31:57 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=10130Thanks to you, KNOM continues to be a place where nutrition and health are regularly encouraged. One example: the Morning Show and Breakfast Wednesday.]]>

Through your support, KNOM Radio continues to be a place where nutrition and healthy lifestyles are regularly discussed and encouraged.

As past readers of the Static may know, one avenue for this advocacy is our Morning Show, airing weekdays from 6 to 10am.

For the past year, our Morning Show host has been second-year volunteer Dayneé Rosales, who’s continued a weekly segment, initiated in 2012, entitled Breakfast Wednesday. Each week on Breakfast Wednesday, Dayneé joins representatives from Nome’s CAMP Department — a local organization dedicated to healthy living — to talk about a different breakfast recipe. They then make the recipe and invite local members of our community to join them for breakfast! It’s always a hit with our listeners.

A crowded Studio A during Breakfast Wednesday on June 11, 2014: Tara and Dayneé (front) chat with Haley, Ashley, and Megan (second microphone) from Nome’s CAMP Department.

]]>10130Blogging about servicehttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/05/29/blogging-about-service/
Fri, 30 May 2014 02:24:30 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=9384As evidenced in their blog posts on this website, a tradition of community service, dedication, and creativity remains as vibrant as ever among our KNOM volunteers. Here are two examples.]]>

A tradition of community service, dedication, and creativity remains as vibrant as ever among our 2013-2014 class of KNOM volunteers: Dayneé, Anna Rose, Tara, Emily, and Zach.

There’s no better place to see evidence of this than their blog posts on this website. Here are two examples.

Dayneé sings the praises of Nome and its active community in her May 13th post Color Me Nome. KNOM’s hometown is “not an easy place to live in,” especially in springtime. She explains further:

The weather is volatile and harsh. Summers are short, winters are long. Everything you own, from cars and appliances to the clothes on your back, wears out faster than it would in other places. Travel costs an arm and a leg. Everything, in general, is prohibitively more expensive the further you get from a major city.

And yet despite these challenges – and, in many ways, because of them – Dayneé finds a determination to thrive and a persistent “grit” are at the core of Nome’s spirit. Even on the greyest, chilly days of our sub-Arctic springtime, Dayneé says that local events offer a deliberate way of keeping spirits high and communities strong. An example is Nome’s Walk for Life, an event which, as she describes, “brings awareness and support for suicide prevention, domestic violence, and community wellness.” Dayneé is pictured holding the banner, above, at far left.

Golovin, Alaska.

A May 2nd post from Emily (Not Just Talk) tells the story of what happened when she was waylaid in the village of Golovin (GULL-uh-vin, pictured above) because of inclement weather. Emily happened to meet the relatives – the sister, grandnieces, and grandnephews – of a person Emily knows in Nome. The family members in Nome and Golovin hadn’t seen each other in a long time, and even just a “hello,” relayed through a third person (Emily), meant so much.

As Emily reflects in her post, “Sometimes service is a small thing, but there is an auntie in Nome who sleeps a little bit better now that she knows her sister’s grandchildren are well.”

We encourage you to click through the links above to read these posts in full – and as always, thank you for supporting the service of our dedicated (and well-written!) volunteers.

]]>9384Our volunteers, busy travelinghttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/04/30/our-volunteers-busy-traveling/
Wed, 30 Apr 2014 20:23:54 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=8678Our volunteers remain busy! Recently, Tara and Emily (pictured, top) have traveled to the village of Elim (EE-lum) to represent KNOM at a youth career fair, and Dayneé has gone to Kiana (keye-ANN-uh, pictured below) to gather materials for her ongoing radio spot production. Newsie Zach has traveled to Savoonga (as described here) and is just…]]>

Our volunteers remain busy!

Recently, Tara and Emily (pictured, top) have traveled to the village of Elim (EE-lum) to represent KNOM at a youth career fair, and Dayneé has gone to Kiana (keye-ANN-uh, pictured below) to gather materials for her ongoing radio spot production.

Newsie Zach has traveled to Savoonga (as described here) and is just back from Gambell, Alaska, reporting on a youth sporting event that incorporates traditional cultural knowledge.

Thanks to a sponsorship with a regional air carrier, all of their airfare is free of charge, and thanks to your support, these vitally-needed trips are able to take place!

]]>8678Volunteer travelhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/03/01/volunteer-travel/
http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/03/01/volunteer-travel/#commentsSun, 02 Mar 2014 01:53:52 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=7303Our volunteers have been keeping busy this winter. It’s par for the course for our volunteer program, but our 2013-2014 volunteers – Dayneé, Anna Rose, Tara, Zach, and Emily – have all been putting in extra effort to reach out to the communities we serve. In January, all five volunteers were scheduled to take outreach…]]>

In January, all five volunteers were scheduled to take outreach and/or news-gathering trips to some of the villages within KNOM’s listening range. (Thanks to an ongoing sponsorship with a regional airline, this rural travel is free of charge.) Because of the strangely warm weather, some of their travel had to be canceled; some of our communities’ runways were simply too icy to permit landing.

Thankfully, Emily, Anna Rose, and Zach did make it to their destinations. Emily ventured to Savoonga (suh-VOON-guh), Alaska, where she presented at a career fair for high school and middle school students. She then joined Anna Rose in the village of Koyuk for a similar career presentation (top picture). The two traveled with a group of other presenters from Nome, also pictured below.

Zach spent time in Stebbins, Alaska (pictured at bottom), doing research for a follow-up news story on recovery efforts from this past November’s severe fall storms in Western Alaska. Zach’s trip came on the heels of a recent federal declaration designating parts of rural Alaska as natural disaster sites, thus opening up funds (from FEMA) for relief efforts. In Stebbins, the rebuilding work is ongoing and arduous. As Zach recently wrote on our blog, the reconstruction efforts in Stebbins “are not just important, they are vital.”

Thank you for helping our volunteers to engage with our region and to share their stories. (And thank you to Chisana White for the Koyuk photos!)

Repairs are currently underway in Stebbins, Alaska, one of many Western Alaska communities beset by last autumn’s heavy storms.

]]>http://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/03/01/volunteer-travel/feed/17303Spottedhttp://www.knom.org/wp/blog/2014/02/03/spotted/
Mon, 03 Feb 2014 21:08:39 +0000http://www.knom.org/wp/?p=6882The messages you see in grey boxes throughout our print newsletter (which you can download as a PDF) – and in all of our Static (newsletter) issues – are but a tiny sampling of KNOM’s massive library of “spots.”

They’re brief radio messages, created in-house at KNOM, that we sprinkle into each broadcast hour, taking the place of commercials (since we’re non-profit).

Spot production is one of KNOM’s oldest and most fundamental traditions, and through 2014 and beyond, it remains a regular part of the work we do.

KNOM’s spots – currently being produced by volunteers Dayneé Rosales and Tara Cicatello – are important because they cover two areas essential to KNOM’s mission: education and inspiration. In our hourly broadcasts, you’ll hear spots on Catholic spirituality, Alaska Native languages, safety tips on traveling through our region’s countryside in winter, general “food for thought,” and lots more. One highlight of our current spots: the writing of local, Alaskan poets.

When I first came to KNOM Kelly approached me and said, “Okay, so, I was thinking. I want to try something new this year. I think it would be cool if The Morning Show had two voices this year instead of one.” That was a great idea, by the way.

It’s a different dynamic this year and we don’t have two regular KNOM DJs in the morning, which bred the crazy and obvious idea: why limit ourselves to the voices of KNOM staff? And why limit ourselves only to two voices?

The 2014 Morning Show is getting a remake. I asked a few Nomite friends to join me talking about issues important to them and our community at large. I tried to cover the bases: health, diversity, local culture, youth… these specialty segments occur Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, while on Tuesdays and Thursdays I go rogue. We might even be able to do a massive gabfest all together in the future.

Now, with no further ado, I introduce you to the new Morning Show team!

Tara Cicatello is a native of Buffalo and a fellow KNOM Volunteer. I call her the floater: she floats between studios in the mornings and sometimes I pull her into Studio A for fun & random conversations.

Tara loves sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, puppies, baking cookies, and micro pigs wearing raincoats & booties. Though she is a regular on our Breakfast Wednesday segment, Tara also has her own show on KNOM: AK Country, Wednesdays 2-4pm.

Her favorite thing to eat for breakfast is candy pancakes. Meaning, pancakes with whatever candy you find lying around the house (Snickers, Recess Pieces, Jelly Beans… all candies are equal. She doesn’t discriminate).

***

A native from the great state of Wisconsin (where the cheese is the tastiest!) Megan “Mindy” Timm is the Prevention Program Coordinator at the CAMP department through Norton Sound Health Corporation in Nome. At CAMP, Megan helps people quit smoking, come up with weight loss challenges, assists in diabetes prevention programs, and organizes the “Summercise” summer camp programs for kids.

Megan at Nome Relay for Life

At KNOM she joins us for one of our most popular segments: Breakfast Wednesday. Every week, Megan guides Tara and myself in the preparation of a new healthy, tasty, coast-effective breakfast, sharing her nutrition knowledge on our airwaves with western Alaska. We then invite our audience to join us for a FREE breakfast at the KNOM Studios. In 2013, she played the voice of Mindy in our Christmas radio drama, “Mindy, The (Ugly) Christmas Sweater.” In her free time… well, Megan doesn’t have much free time because that time belongs to her dog, who is very young and needy. Should she have free time, she likes to believe she’d spend it eating breakfast sandwiches (with cheese, of course) and being a hardcore Star Wars geek.

***

E = mc2. Einstein is tasty.

Panga Laura Ikanuq Pungowiyi has moved towns a total of 23 times (sometimes back and forth between the same towns). Some of these places include: Savoonga, Bethel, Sitka, Fairbanks, Anchorage, Washington, Oregon, Las Vegas, Nome, Palmer, and that summer or two in Mississippi that we don’t always talk about. She works in Nome with Kawerak Wellness and is the current president of the Bering Sea Women’s Group, a member of the Social Justice Taskforce, and a councilmember of the Community United Methodist Church.

She joins the KNOM Morning Show for a new segment this year: Fancy Pants Talk (which is ironic considering Panga hates to wear pants and opts for skirts). The show? Two girls, two microphones, two hours of us talking fancy about social issues, the media, culture, Alaskan living, gluten, Ani DiFranco, dinosaurs, and, on special occasions, our favorite kinds of candy.

On her free time, Panga enjoys living the not-so-secret life of a video game enthusiast. Her favorite breakfast food is Eggs Benedict, without the muffin! But lots of spinach and tomatoes (see? Fancy.) Join the fancy talk on Mondays from 8-10am.

***

Chris Steppe is proof that the universe is a small, strange, wonderful place. A native of Northern Virginia, Chris’s life and Daynee Rosales‘ have followed similar paths: they attended rival high schools, ended up in the same University (same graduating class!), lived two blocks apart, ate at the same Korean cafes, and hung out in many of the same music venues, without ever meeting. Through different volunteer programs & adventures Chris and Daynee eventually ended up in Nome, where they finally met.

Chris is the director of the Boys & Girls Club where he aims to empower youth and build upon our community ties. At KNOM, he joins me every Friday for another new segment, the Nerd Power Hour! (Which is actually two hours long, but we’re not math nerds so… yeah). Chris has always wanted to be on public radio and now acts as KNOM’s resident nerd guru, possessing above average proficiency and understanding of anime, robots, video games, hockey, how to survive a zombie apocalypse (fun fact: it’s much like surviving an Alaskan winter storm), and bacon. Oh. His favorite breakfast food is waffles. Seriously. The man has them for breakfast every. Single. Day.

***

Communicorn, otherwise known as the “community unicorn” or the “communications unicorn,” hails from the distant factories of China, so he’s come a long way. Communicorn lacks opposable thumbs and moves at a speed of 0 mph, but he doesn’t let that stop him from achieving his dream of being a radio DJ! He is known in western AK for his wonderful sense of humor (press his nose and listen to his unicorn noises) and a big, jolly smile. When communicorn’s around, it’s practically impossible to be unhappy. He’s a guest on the KNOM Morning Show on days when you least expect it. His favorite thing to eat for breakfast is the unicorn poop cookie, which Daynee makes only for special occasions.

***

The Morning Show is all about being casual and conversational. Personally, I dance a little between quirky and OMGICANTBELIEVEYOUJUSTDIDTHAT. I mean, anyone remember last year, when I tried to cut my hair with a sword? Anyone? No?

We are here to ease your transition in the early mornings as you get ready for work, drop your kid off at school, or lounge around the house trying to figure out what to have for breakfast. (If you haven’t figured out that I love food-especially breakfast- you haven’t been paying attention.) I strive to make anything I do fun, accessible, easy to understand, and inclusive. There’s nothing more annoying to me than being stuck in a conversation where I’m being talked AT, not TO. Even though my audience is not in the studio with me, a successful show will make you feel like you were there with me all along. Listen in: KNOM Morning Show, weekdays 6-10am.